“I accidentally overwrote an important document in Microsoft Teams, and now I need to get back the version from yesterday. Is there a way to restore previous versions of files in Teams without losing all my work?”. This scenario happens frequently in collaborative environments where multiple team members edit shared documents simultaneously.
Microsoft Teams file recovery and version control solution
Microsoft Teams integrates deeply with SharePoint Online to provide comprehensive document version control and recovery capabilities. When team members collaborate on files stored in Teams channels, SharePoint automatically maintains version history, creating restore points every time someone saves changes to a document.
We will walk you through restoring previous versions of files in Microsoft Teams using both the Teams interface and SharePoint integration. You’ll learn how to recover deleted files, view version history, and apply best practices for version control. We included examples for managing files in team channels as well as those shared through chat conversations.
Accessing file version history in Microsoft Teams channels
Restoring previous versions through Teams interface
- Navigate to the specific Microsoft Teams channel where your file is located and click on the “Files” tab at the top of the channel interface.
- Locate the document you want to restore and click the three-dot menu (ellipsis) next to the file name to access additional file options.
- Select “Open in SharePoint” from the dropdown menu, which will redirect you to the underlying SharePoint document library where Teams stores all channel files.
- Once in SharePoint, click on the three-dot menu next to your file again and select “Version history” to view all previously saved versions of the document.
- Review the available versions listed chronologically, showing timestamps, file sizes, and the names of users who made modifications to help identify the correct version.
- Click on the timestamp link of the version you want to restore, which will open a preview of that specific version allowing you to verify it contains the content you need.
Completing the file restoration process
- After confirming you’ve selected the correct version, click the dropdown arrow next to the version timestamp and select “Restore” to replace the current version with the selected historical version.
- Microsoft Teams will automatically sync the restored version back to the Teams interface, making it immediately available to all team members who have access to the channel.
- Return to Microsoft Teams and refresh the Files tab to confirm the restoration was successful and verify that the document now displays the content from your selected previous version.
Expert Tip: Always download a backup copy of the current version before restoring a previous version, as the restoration process will overwrite the existing file content permanently.
Recovering deleted files from Microsoft Teams
Locating deleted files in SharePoint recycle bin
- Access the SharePoint site associated with your Microsoft Teams channel by clicking “Open in SharePoint” from the Files tab in your Teams channel interface.
- Navigate to the SharePoint recycle bin by clicking the gear icon in the top-right corner of SharePoint and selecting “Site contents” from the dropdown menu.
- Click on “Recycle bin” in the left navigation panel to view all deleted files from the Teams channel, including documents that were removed accidentally or intentionally.
- Search for your deleted file using the search box at the top of the recycle bin, or browse through the chronologically organized list of deleted items.
- Select the checkbox next to the file you want to recover and click the “Restore” button to return the file to its original location in the Teams channel.
Restoring files from second-stage recycle bin
- If you cannot find your deleted file in the regular recycle bin, click “Second-stage recycle bin” at the bottom of the recycle bin page to access permanently deleted items.
- Files in the second-stage recycle bin require site collection administrator permissions to restore, so contact your IT administrator if you need to recover files from this location.
- Once restored from either recycle bin location, the file will reappear in the Microsoft Teams Files tab and be accessible to all channel members with appropriate permissions.
Microsoft Teams chat file recovery methods
Recovering files shared in chat conversations
- Open the Microsoft Teams chat conversation where the file was originally shared and scroll through the message history to locate the file attachment or link.
- Click on the file name or thumbnail to open the file, then use the same version history process described above if the file was stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.
- For files shared directly as attachments in chat, check your OneDrive “Recent” section or “Shared” section to find copies that may have been automatically saved during the sharing process.
- If the file was deleted from chat, check the sender’s OneDrive recycle bin or ask them to reshare the file from their personal storage location.
Remember: Files shared in private chats are typically stored in the sender’s OneDrive, while files in channel conversations are stored in the associated SharePoint site.
Troubleshooting common Teams file restoration issues
- Version history appears empty or unavailable: Verify that versioning is enabled in the SharePoint document library by navigating to Library Settings and checking the Versioning settings configuration.
- Restore option is grayed out or missing: Confirm you have appropriate permissions to edit files in the Teams channel or SharePoint site by contacting your administrator.
- File doesn’t appear in recycle bin after deletion: Check if the file was permanently deleted beyond the retention period, which is typically 93 days for most Microsoft 365 tenants.
- Restored file shows incorrect content or formatting: Clear your browser cache and refresh Microsoft Teams, as cached versions may display outdated content even after successful restoration.